Join us for a program on the "State of Civics Education" on 9/20

The Committee of Seventy is a member of the PA Civics Coalition, which is made of a wide-ranging group of organizations to support civic education across Pennsylvania. PA Civics provides high quality resources to teachers that cover every subject under the civics umbrella.

Join the coalition on Wed, Sept. 20 at 4 pm for its annual "State of Civics Education in Pennsylvania" virtual event. PA Education Secretary Khalid Mumin will make opening remarks, and then we'll have multiple panels, including:

- The current status of Act 35 and civics testing;

- Examples of high-quality civics programs;

- Successful partnerships with community orgs.

Learn more and register to attend. Be on the lookout for more upcoming events and subscribe to the PA Civics Google Calendar to get the latest updates.

Going "glocal" in Carlisle

Last school year, Carlisle High School was one of 31 high schools in PA that was named a Gold winner of the Governor's Civic Engagement Award.

Kevin Wagner is the school's Social Studies Program Supervisor, and he teaches a student-centered "going glocal" approach to civics.

Students at Carlisle apply their civic learning to scenarios that hone their skills in ways that positively impact their community. For example, 11th and 12th-grade students started a program to send birthday cards to peers on their 18th birthday that contain voter registration information. Carlisle also hosts an annual "Civics Day" every spring that brings the community and notable civics organizations into the school to connect directly with students.

We want to feature other creative ideas from teachers. PA Civics Coordinator Sam Forman is on a statewide listening tour to amplify excellent work and identify challenges in civic education across Pennsylvania. Contact him at sforman@seventy.org.

A new opportunity for young PA voters

Our friends at Fair Districts PA have spent nearly a decade on the importance of legislative districts and a responsive legislative process, but young voters are still a long way from being heard in the halls of Harrisburg.

FDPA is launching a new initiative called HYVE (Hey Young Voters, Engage!): conversation, connection and civic engagement for Pennsylvanians under 35 working together for real representation.

They are starting with a series of monthly Zoom meetings featuring young elected officials, legislative staff and other political professionals.

The first meeting, on September 20 at 7 pm, will feature Representative Alec Ryncavage, a Republican representing parts of Luzerne County. At age 22, he’s the youngest person serving in the PA state legislature.

On October 18 they'll welcome Senator Nick Miller, a Democrat representing parts of Lehigh and Northampton counties. He’s 28, and PA’s youngest senator. And save the date for Nov. 15th and Dec. 13th for other speakers.

Young voters (and soon-to-be voters) can sign up to receive links to meetings and action alerts.

Celebrating Constitution Day

Constitution Day is right around the corner. While the official holiday is Sunday, September 17th, many are celebrating on Monday, September 18th. Here’s what some of our fellow PA Civics Coalition members have going on:

The National Constitution Center is offering free admission on both days.
The Rendell Center is hosting the 2023 Constitution Day Read Aloud Spectacular from September 18-22 in K-5 classrooms, with partners including the PA Bar Association.